The Return
by Tzadikim
Summary: Aang looked at her curiously with his head cocked to the side. "So, you're me—or will be me?" A vignette.


**AN: God, this was nagging at me. This takes place anywhere after the latest episode and wherever. I was watching some of the old ATLA, and I love this part that was shown in several episodes. **

**Please leave a review if you added this to your favs. Yes, I did made a sequel.**

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**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I know that I'm not the creators of the show.

**Title**: A Return

**Summary**: Aang looked at her curiously with his head cocked to the side. "So, you're me—or will be me?" A vignette.

**Word Count**: 954

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_It's good to see you, Aang. What took you so long?_

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It was silent.

Just a second ago Korra was fighting Equalists, and it was becoming too much. Doing this felt like the coward's way out, but the meditation that she did caused that feeling to go away. Focusing on the Spirit World while cocooned in a thick layer of rock should show her the way to get out of this fight and to save her friends.

It's just that Korra wasn't expecting to see a surreal blue-ish world with a twelve-year-old smiling at her.

Aang looked at her curiously with his head cocked to the side. "So, you're me—or will be me?"

Korra crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I was bald?"

The past Avatar rubbed his head self-consciously. "I had hair once," he admitted. "But I chose not to."

Korra studied him. He was short for a twelve-year-old, but with his large eyes and adorable face he could easily be Meelo's twin. Korra marveled at the idea that the boy who saved the world barely came up to her shoulder. "Why are you here as a child, Avatar Aang? I've seen you as an adult, but why like this?"

Aang smiled, and she was reminded of Tenzin. He sat down on a corporeal piece of the Spirit World with his legs crossed. The blue light surrounding him twinkled. "Because I was this age when I had to face my destiny. Much like you I was afraid—"

"I'm not afraid!" Korra insisted, and her hands curled into fists. She angrily looked at her past self who was calm. She was so sick of people doubting her when she could actually do something. "I can face Amon, I can beat him, and I can win this."

"And if you lose?" Aang asked; his eyes were sharp and old. The eyes and his words were very out-of-place on his younger body. "What will happen then, Avatar Korra? What will happen to your friends? Republic City? What about my family?"

Korra was silent.

"Rushing into this will kill you," he spoke softly. "You'll be blind, not knowing where to strike, and you will lose everything. Do you understand?"

Korra nodded curtly. There was so much of Aang in Tenzin, she noted, that the resemblance was almost scary. "Then tell me what to do."

Aang stood up, and he visibly aged to the number that Korra saw in her visions. He was taller, more angular, and his beard was reminiscent of his son's. His airbender tattoos glowed the same blue color as the Spirit World. "There is a skill that the past Avatars can do, but only if you are also willing."

"What will this do?"

Aang only smiled softly and raised his hand over her forehead. "Don't worry, I will always be here to help. Do you agree to doing this, Avatar Korra?"

Korra looked up at his hand and then to his face. She nodded. "For my friends I'll do this."

He laid his hand on her forehead. "Excellent, now close your eyes."

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The dome of rock that the Korra created cracked with blue light. Tenzin watched fearfully as the rock crumbled and one Equalist made a lunge forward. Shouting, Tenzin lashed a whip of air at the man, but he ducked as he got ready to electrocute Korra.

Suddenly, a piece of the dome struck the Equalist. The man was pinned to the wall and was slammed again by the rock. He collapsed to the floor after that. The rest of the Equalists gasped and moved away from where Korra was, but it wasn't the young Avatar that scared them. Tenzin felt his mouth drop as he saw his father appear from a dense fog of dirt particles. Once the shock wore off, Amon's followers tried to fight and defeat Avatar Aang.

_Impossible!_ Tenzin thought, _how can my father be here?_

"Hello, son," his father greeted. He bended the walls to trap another Equalist. After that he sent out a whip of fire at them, then water strikes, and lastly he used air blasts. There was a faint glimmer running along his tattoos as he fought with each element. "Care for a hand?"

Tenzin closed his mouth into a hard line. He refused to command to his inner child that wanted him to go hug his father in the middle of a fight. "It has been a while, father."

Aang's smile grew sad. "Indeed it has." He waved a hand at the eager Equalists. "Do you want one more lesson before this is over?"


End file.
